Some conventional testing devices have a built-in cable modem as well as a measurement tuner, but none provide the means by which two-way communications and an accurate test measurement can take place at the same time.
United States Patent Publication No. 2005/0144648 published Jun. 30, 2005 in the name of Michael Gotwals et al. discloses a test meter having a modem and a test system, in which one tuner is shared between the cable modem and the cable test system. Thus the test meter is limited to half-duplex operation.
Some current instruments have a capability to receive and analyze a raw data stream such as a MPEG stream, but it is an expensive solution and is not very portable to the field. The present invention provides a means to capture the raw data stream and then, via two-way communication with the head-end, send back the data to be analyzed. Accordingly, the present invention provides in essence a loop-back mode via a handheld device communicating to a more expensive and high tech device in the head-end to perform an analysis of the raw data stream.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing simultaneous data communication using a first tuner, while taking RF physical layer measurements of the network using a second tuner.